Tape winding device



M. LICHTENSTEIN TAPE WINDING DEVICE May 25, 1965 7 Filed Dec. 6, 1963 INVENTOR. MEIER LICHTENSTEIN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,185,407 TAPE WINDING DEVICE Meier Lichtenstein, 760 Market St., San Francisco, Calif. Filed Dec. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 328,756

7 Claims. (Cl. 24296) This invention relates to a new and useful tape winding device.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tape Winding device which facilitates the convenient winding of tape thereon and which has means facilitating easy removal of the tape therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tape winding device having a winding drum adapted for detachment from one support arm thereof facilitating easy removal of tape Wound on the drum.

A more particular object of the present invention is to provide a tape winding device having a pair of arms supporting a winding drum therebetween and being transversely adjustable for separating said winding drum from one of the arms; and furthermore to provide one of said winding drum supporting arms with a pivotal support such that said arm and the winding drum may be pivoted laterally to exposethe end of the drum for removing tape from the end of the drum.

Still another object is to provide a device of the type described which is conveniently manipulated by the operator in performing its intended functions.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present tape winding device in a position for receiving and holding tape; and

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device and showing, in full and dotted lines, positions of the drum for tape removal.

Referring in particular to the drawings, the present device comprises a hollow body portion 10 supported integrally on a handle 12. A pair of drum supporting arms 14 and 16 are mounted on the body portion 10, these arms extending substantially at right angles to the body portion in a direction opposite from the handle 12 and being parallel to said handle and to each other.

The supporting arm 14 is integrally secured to one end edge of the body portion 10, and the supporting arm 16 is supported on a slide plate 18 projecting into an open end 20 of the hollow body portion 10. Arm 16 has a right angle bottom flange 22 seated on the upper surface of slide plate 18 and pivotally connected to said plate by means of a pivot pin 24. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the pivotal support of the arm 16 permits positioning thereof between the full and dotted lines shown in FIGURE 2.

Plate 18 has a slidable mounting connection with the hollow body portion 10 and is urged toward arm 14 by a tension spring 26 suitably connected at one of its ends to the inner end of plate 18 and at its other end to body portion 10 adjacent the arm 14. This spring thus urges and normally holds the plate 18 in an inner position but allows said plate to be moved manually in a direction away from the arm 14.

The upper surface of body portion 10 has a longitudinally extending elongated slot 28 for receiving an upwardly projecting tab 30 integral with the plate 18. This tab comprises a finger engaging member for readily sliding the plate away from drum 14.

The end edge of body portion 10 adjacent the arm 16 has a notch or recess 32, best seen in dotted lines in FIG- 3,185,467 Patented May 25, 1965 URE 2, and the flange 22 has a pointed end 34 for engagement with this notch 32 to anchor the arm 16 against pivotal movement. As will be seen hereinafter, such anchored position of the arm 16 is accomplished in a position of tape winding of the mechanism.

Journaled in the arm 14 adjacent the upper end thereof is a stub shaft 38 on which is integrally mounted a drum flange or disc 40. The flange 40 is disposed on the inner surface of arm 14, and the outer end of shaft 38 has a removable end cap 42 for purposes of assembly and disassembly.

Journaled in the arm 16 adjacent the upper end thereof is a pin 44 forming an integral part of a shaft 46 which carries a winding drum 48, said drum being suitably secured to the shaft 46 for rotation therewith. A drum flange or disc 50 is secured to the end of drum 48. The free end of pin 44 projects beyond the outer surface of the arm 16 and has a crank 52 attached thereto for rotating the drum.

A detachable connection is provided between stub shaft 38 and shaft 46, and for this purpose and as best seen in FIGURE 2 the stub shaft 38 projects through the drum flange 40 and terminates at its inner surface in a notch or groove '54 set in from the inner surface of drum flange 40. The shaft 46 projects beyond the adjacent end of drum 48 and is adapted for engagement with the notch 54 to establish a drive connection between the shafts 38 and 46. This connection is maintained by the tension force of spring 26 but may be broken by moving the arm 16 away from arm 14.

When it is desired to wind tape on the drum the parts are arranged such that the shafts 38 and 46 are in engagement. Thus, a complete winding drum having both end flanges associated therewith is available for receiving the tape. The drum 48 has a radial slot 58 for removably connecting the end of the tape thereto. Upon reception of the end of the tape in the slot 58 the crank 52 is then operated to wind the tape on the drum. When it is desired to remove the tape from the drum it is merely necessary to move the slide 18 away from the supporting arm 14 by means of tab 30 which of course moves the entire assembly of supporting arm 16 and drum 48 in the same direction. This separates the tongue and groove connection of shaft portions 38 and 46. Such movement of the slide 18 also disengages the pointed end 34 of flange 22 from the notch 32. Thereupon the supporting arm 16 and its assembly can be rotated relative to the plate 18 to a lateral angular position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2. This exposes the one end of the drum and the tape may be slid off such exposed end.

The supporting arm 16 and its assembly may then be rotated back to a position wherein shaft portions 54 and 56 are in alignment, and upon releasing the tab 30, the spring 26 moves the slide toward the arm 14 to re-establish a drive connection between said shaft portions. The pointed end 34 of flange 22 again engages in notch 32 to anchor the arm 16 and its assembly positively against pivotal movement.

The present device may be utilized for many purposes and combines ready portability with ease of operation and efliciency of performance. As an example it may be used in the handling of tape which is discharged from an electrocardiograph since it facilitates the necessary holding and manipulation of the tape for inspection.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A tape Winding device comprising a body portion, first and second parallel arms projecting from said body portion in spaced relation and at substantially right angles to said body portion, a drum rotatably supported on said first arm for winding tape thereon, said drum having a rotatable, detachable supporting connection with said second arm, said first arm being pivotally supported on said body portion for pivoting the drum laterally away from said second arm upon detaching said drum from said second arm to expose said end of the drum whereby tape on the drum may be moved off the exposed end.

2. The tape winding device of claim 1 wherein said first arm is slidably supported on said body portion for detaching said drum from said second arm and pivoting the drum away from said second arm.

3. The tape winding device of claim 1 wherein said first arm is slidably supported on said body portion for detaching said drum from said second arm and pivoting the drum away from said second arm, the detachable connection between said shaft and said second arm including a stub shaft rotatably supported in said second arm, and disengageable tongue and groove means on said stub shaft and said drum.

4. The tape Winding device of claim 1 including a plate slidably supported in said body portion and pivotally supporting said first arm.

5. A tape winding device of claim 1 including a plate slidably supported in said body portion and pivotally supporting said first arm, and a finger engaging tab on said plate for sliding the latter relative to said housing.

6. The tape winding device of claim 1 including a plate slidably supported in said body portion and pivotally supporting said first arm, and including means biasing said plate toward said second arm to urge said drum into supporting connection with said second arm.

7. A tape winding device comprising a body portion, first and second parallel arms projecting from said body portion in spaced relation and at substantially right angles to said body portion, a first tape confining flange integral with said second arm, a drum rotatably supported on said first arm for winding tape thereon, a second tape confining flange integral with said drum at the end of the latter opposite from said first tape confining flange, said drum having a rotatable, detachable supporting connection with said second arm, said first arm being pivotally supported on said body portion for pivoting the drum laterally away from said second arm and said first tape confining flange upon detaching said drum from said second arm to expose said end of the drum whereby tape on the drum may be moved off the exposed end thereof which has been rotated away from said first tape confining flange.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 71,291 11/67 Fewkes 242129.53 1,196,740 8/16 Palmer 242-12951 1,410,014 3/22 Hurlburt 24268.4 1,655,561 1/28 Pohle 242-129.51 1,684,951 9/28 Dowdall 242129.53 1,967,676 7/34 Marchev 24268.4

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,038,272 5/53 France.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TAPE WINDING DEVICE COMPRISING A BODY PORTION, FIRST AND SECOND PARALLEL ARMS PROJECTING FROM SAID BODY PORTION IN SPACED RELATION AND AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BODY PORTION, A DRUM ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID FIRST ARM FOR WINDING TAPE THEREON, SAID DRUM HAVING A ROTATABLE, DETACHABLE SUPPORTING CONNECTION WITH SAID SECOND ARM, SAID FIRST ARM BEING PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID BODY PORTION FOR PIVOTING THE DRUM LATERALLY AWAY FROM SAID SECOND ARM UPON DETACHING SAID DRUM FROM SAID SECOND ARM TO EXPOSE SAID END OF THE DRUM FROM TAPE ON THE DRUM MAY BE MOVED OFF THE EXPOSED END. 